“Huh? Wait, you…”
The knight of Favonius who had rushed in froze. At first, he assumed Jia Changjiang was the thief, but something about Jia’s assertive demeanor made him hesitate.
Jia Changjiang stood firm, holding a battle axe in one hand while clutching the bloodied wound on his shoulder with the other—a wound he had deliberately inflicted upon himself with an explosion of Mora.
For someone without a Vision, having an elemental wound on their body was unusual enough. Coupled with his reputation as the hero who recently resolved a major crisis in Mondstadt, Jia Changjiang’s image became even more perplexing.
While he enjoyed combat, Jia Changjiang had no intention of being caught up in someone else’s schemes. If others wanted to play dirty, he could play dirtier.
“Quick! Don’t let those two—one in green and one in yellow—get away!” Faint voices carried in from outside. Venti and Lumine had apparently been spotted, though they’d likely avoid capture.
As for himself…
More knights soon arrived, and some immediately recognized Jia Changjiang.
“That’s the hero who drove off the Stormterror!”
“Yes, it’s him! And he’s an honorary knight of the Knights of Favonius now!”
The murmurs of recognition further muddied the situation, blurring the lines of suspicion and lending credence to Jia Changjiang’s claims.
“I discovered a tunnel over there,” Jia said, his tone righteous. “Someone dug their way inside and stole the Holy Lyre der Himmel.”
He gestured firmly, as if recounting an obvious truth. “I followed the culprit here and fought them, but they managed to escape!”
“Take me to Jean—I have something important to report!”
Despite his apparent injury, Jia Changjiang’s commanding presence left little room for doubt.
“But you’re hurt! Let us treat your wound first…” one of the knights offered, concerned.
“The Fatui have stolen the Holy Lyre! Isn’t that serious enough?!” Jia Changjiang barked, flipping the situation back on its head.
In one deft motion, he metaphorically pinned the blame squarely on the Fatui.
“Take me to Acting Grand Master Jean—or have her come here herself!” he demanded, coughing for added effect. To sell the act even further, he smeared a bit of his own blood at the corner of his lips.
“You… Stay here! I’ll fetch Master Jean right away!”
The knight, sufficiently rattled, hurried off to summon Jean.
Meanwhile, the remaining knights insisted on escorting Jia Changjiang to Barbara for treatment.
—
Barbara, who had already gone to bed for the night, was startled when she saw Jia Changjiang being brought in. His bloodied shoulder and pale complexion left her shaken.
“Mr. Jax?! What happened to you?!”
The news of the Holy Lyre being stolen nearly caused her to faint, but she managed to steady herself and focused on healing Jia’s wounds.
Under Barbara’s care, even the lingering injuries from his battle with Stormterror began to heal. Jia Changjiang couldn’t help but marvel once again at the miraculous power of elemental healing.
Not long after, Jean arrived, her face filled with urgency.
The moment she stepped into the room, Jia Changjiang knew the real performance was about to begin.
Half-truths, mixed with just the right amount of fabrication, were all he needed. It didn’t matter if Jean figured out the full story. What mattered was convincing the Knights of Favonius and Mondstadt at large to believe the narrative he wanted them to see.
“Mr. Jax, what’s going on?” Jean asked, her tone firm but concerned.
Jia Changjiang started to speak, then paused mid-sentence before pivoting. “It’s all the Fatui… The Holy Lyre was stolen by them.”
He scanned the room, then locked eyes with Jean. She quickly signaled for everyone else to leave.
Even Barbara stepped out, leaving Jia and Jean alone in the room.
Still cautious, Jia Changjiang stood and quietly moved to the door, listening for any sounds from outside. Only when he was sure it was silent did he turn back to face Jean.
“Now, can you explain what’s really going on?” Jean asked, her voice steady yet demanding.
Jia Changjiang took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts.
“There’s no one else here now, so I need to speak to Jean—not Acting Grand Master Jean.”
Jean’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she nodded after a pause. “I understand. Whatever you say next will stay between us.”
“Good,” Jia Changjiang said with a small, satisfied smile. “The Holy Lyre was indeed stolen by the Fatui—right in front of me. But the reason I’m here… is because I also needed to retrieve it.”
Jia launched into an explanation, detailing the situation with Stormterror, the corruption of Dvalin by poisonous blood centuries ago, the curse afflicting him now, and the crucial role the Holy Lyre played in aiding Dvalin’s recovery.
Jean listened intently, her expression shifting from shock to deep contemplation.
“This… explains so much,” she murmured. “So that’s why the East Wind Guardian has turned against Mondstadt…”
Her brows furrowed tighter. “But even so, the Knights of Favonius are constrained by the Fatui’s diplomatic pressure. We can’t openly show goodwill toward Stormterror without risking serious repercussions.”
Jia Changjiang’s smile returned, a glint of confidence in his eyes.
“If diplomacy is the issue, I already have a solution—or rather, I’ve been preparing one.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“The Fatui are exerting pressure on Mondstadt. To counter that, Mondstadt needs its own excuse to push back. Not forever—just long enough to retrieve the Holy Lyre and resolve the Stormterror situation. Once the deed is done, even the Fatui won’t be able to undo it.”
Jean’s eyes widened slightly.
“And what excuse are you proposing, Mr. Jax?”
“A Mondstadt honorary knight personally witnessing the Fatui stealing the Anemo Archon’s sacred treasure—how does that sound?”
Jia Changjiang let his words hang in the air for a moment before continuing.
“The knights outside have already heard my hints. Even if they suspect me, the Fatui’s involvement is equally suspicious. Once this information spreads…”
He clasped his hands together.
“On one side, you have a Mondstadt knight—someone who has stood with the Knights of Favonius and the people of this city. On the other side, the Fatui, known for pressuring Mondstadt and acting against its interests. Who do you think the citizens will believe stole the Holy Lyre?”
Jean’s lips parted slightly, her expression a mix of disbelief and admiration.
“Now, Mondstadt has every reason to openly reject the Fatui’s demands,” Jia said, a sly smile tugging at his lips.
“This, Jean… is what we call an open scheme.”
—
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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